“Councilman Yuran is expecting me.” Colin adjusted the wrapped package he carried, then grasped her elbow and nudged her forward. “And we shouldn’t keep him waiting. He’s been dying to get his hands on this book ever since I told him what I found.”
“Councilman Yuran?” Her uncle Boris had never mentioned a councilman by that name. She blocked Colin’s path. “Nobody besides Shifter Affairs and the Mercer family is supposed to know this book has been located.”
“Your uncle Boris arranged this. He wants Tsar to copy the book before it’s presented at the next Council meeting.” Colin looked pointedly at her. “Just in case something happens to it.”
Nyx glanced at the large, flat, burlap-covered object. Rough twine secured the fabric, but it didn’t seal in the moldy scent clinging to the package. The book Colin carried was old, older than what the humans would consider the beginning of the civilized age. He carried a piece of history.
“Do you think that’s really a possibility? The book has survived this long without anyone destroying it.” Nyx ran a finger over the rough material covering the first Alexander’s book. “Boris thinks fear of the goddesses’ retribution was what kept this book intact.”
“Times have changed. There’s a growing number of shifters who no longer believe in the goddesses or the stories of our origins. They think shifters are the superior result of evolution, not the consequence of the meddling of the gods and goddesses in humans’ lives.”
“Yes, but to destroy history?” Nyx couldn’t fathom such a thing. Books and all the other treasures collected over the years marked their beginnings. How were people supposed to meet the challenges of the future if they didn’t understand where they came from? Or why they did the things they did?
Colin didn’t speak for a long moment. When he did, the growl to his voice twisted his tone. “Exploiting females is profitable, Nyx. It’s also a power rush for those shifters who never learned healthy ways to deal with their animalistic drive to dominate and control. And those males will fear losing their victims.”
“And giving women equal rights gives them a voice.”
“Exactly. That’s why Boris wants a copy made of this book. He wants to ensure the first Alexander’s radical beliefs become law.” Colin focused on her. “For you.”
Nyx wasn’t so sure Boris’s motives centered on her. More likely Boris wanted to be remembered as the man who was responsible for giving women equal rights.
“And I want to ensure the book is treated with the respect it deserves.” The rough voice of the feline shifter who’d wanted to hire her echoed in the stairwell.
“Tsar Yuran.” Colin bowed, a sign of respect reserved for the eldest of their kind.
Nyx inhaled sharply. She’d obviously misjudged the head librarian’s age. And his position. Her cheeks warmed. She quickly curtsied.
“Colin Lynch, future leader of the Lynch family.” Tsar inclined his head at him, then smiled at her. “And the lovely Ms. Mercer. Thank you both for bringing the package over tonight. I’ve been waiting thousands of years to get my hands on the first Alexander’s book.”
“It’s my duty and honor, Councilman Yuran. This book ultimately belongs in your safekeeping anyway. I’ve only acted as a temporary host,” Colin responded.
Nyx swallowed against the embarrassment tightening her throat. She dipped her head. “I apologize, Elder Tsar. We were never properly introduced. Had I known you were an elder, I would’ve shown the proper respect before.”
“You should scold Anton for his faux paus, then.” Tsar took her hand and led her toward another metal door at the end of the hall. Two more Royal feline shifters stood there, holding spears decorated with jewels.
“No.” She smiled and hoped it came across as natural and not forced. Her embarrassment acted as a noose around her throat. “I’m sure it was an honest mistake. Though, I must admit I’m a tad confused. Anton mentioned he would be stepping into the role of eldest on the Council, but you seem…”
“Older? Well, you’d be right. I’m the grandson of a goddess, but I can’t hold both the title of eldest on the Council and eldest guardian of our treasures.” Tsar motioned around them at the damp stone walls. “This is where I belong. I understand this world. The one Anton and the others rule over is foreign to me. Too many things have changed out there. I have no place voting on the laws governing it, so I refrain from attending meetings. Or leaving the library.”
“Ah…so you work from sunrise until you retreat to your home at night too?” Of course, without a mate, she could see herself doing the same thing. She couldn’t imagine Anton wanting to sleep over at her house every night. He’d need his alone time too. If she succeeded in winning the right to be in his bed.
“You misunderstand. I don’t leave the library. Ever.” Tsar nodded toward the other Royal shifters guarding the door. “Neither do my brothers. This is our home.”
“You don’t leave even to shift and run?” Nyx studied the silent shifters near the door. One of the guards glanced her way. Her breath caught. One blue eye and one green eye focused on her. His mismatched eyes held a warning she didn’t understand. It sent a shiver down her spine. In the next breath, he faced ahead, ending the spell.
“No.” Tsar snorted. “There’s plenty of room to run down here in the dungeon.”
“The dungeon?”
Colin touched her arm, drawing her attention to him. “That’s what this basement and the network of tunnels and chambers is called. It’s not technically a dungeon.”
“More like a vault for our most precious possessions.” Tsar added.
“Can anyone come down here and see them?” She’d love to spend some time here after she cleared Anton’s name.
Tsar laughed. “No. Absolutely not. Only councilmen, their designees, or their guests can access the dungeon.”
“Do designees include secretaries?” If so, she’d beg Anton for permission to come here.
“Yes.” Tsar dipped his head once. “Bianca came here often.”
“Did she know how to read the old language?” Nyx had never considered wanting to learn their old language before stepping foot in the library upstairs. So many things had happened since then. So many truths had been revealed. So many unexpected desires had been awakened. She wanted them all.
“Yes. I taught her. She was an exceptional student too. Had she not already been working for Anton, I would’ve offered her a job in the library.” Pride shone in Tsar’s eyes.
Apparently, Tsar had been trying to steal away Anton’s secretaries for a while. She moved closer to the Royal shifter. “Would you teach me too? I’d love to be able to translate the text I’m transcribing for Anton.”
Tsar smiled widely. “Of course. Maybe I’ll convince you to join me after all.”
“Maybe.” She matched Tsar’s grin. He had no hope of swaying her from abandoning Anton or her dreams, but Tsar’s enthusiasm was contagious. “Can I start immediately?”
Chuckling, Tsar shook his head. He motioned them forward. The two shifters guarding the door stepped aside, allowing them access to the room beyond. Tsar ushered first Colin, then her inside. The doors clanged shut behind them. “I can give you private lessons if need be, but you seem talented. With the cheat sheet I made for Bianca, you should pick up the old language as easily as she had.”
Nyx heard Tsar’s words but couldn’t bring herself to respond. Her first glimpse at the room guarded by the Royal shifters left her speechless. An array of armor, weapons, and paintings decorated the walls. On marble pedestals, busts of beautiful women and powerful men stared at her with unmoving jeweled eyes. Leather purses and slings, along with cloaks and shimmering gowns were displayed on stands. Dozens of scrolls were stored on racks, while books lined the shelves on the farthest wall.
She focused on the bookshelf situated between two doors at the far end of the room. There were other doors, but Nyx didn’t care to open any of them. Yet. There was too much to explore here.
“Beautiful.” Her gaze locked on the books, she took several steps into the room. Light-headedness gripped her. She swayed.
Tsar steadied her with a hand on her arm. “The essences in the dungeon are potent. They take a bit to get used to.”
Nyx drew in a shallow breath. A hard punch of scents invaded her lungs. She locked her knees. “I didn’t notice them.”
“Too blinded by your curiosity,” Tsar commented. “Must be why you get along so well with Anton. You don’t notice how miserable he is as long as you have something to distract you.”
Nyx narrowed her eyes. Elder or not, she didn’t like Tsar’s insinuation. “I’m not flighty.”
“No.” All traces of amusement faded from Tsar’s face. A calculating look replaced the jovial one. “You’re focused. You ignore the world around you, waiting for the right opportunity to secure your prize. Once you get it, you strike, just like the cat you house.”
She forced a small chuckle. “I’m not exactly sure where you’re going with this.”
“Why Anton?” Tsar’s question echoed, repeating the demand Anton had made of her.
Colin stepped between them, taking her hand and leading her to a large table near another door. “Because he had a job opening. Nyx needed one. Now, if you don’t mind, let’s finish this. I’ve had a damn miserable few days locked in my car with a silent woman.”
He set the wrapped book on the tabletop with the utmost care, then went to work on the knots binding the package. Tsar pushed Colin out of the way and cut the cords with a flick of his sharpened, elongated nail. As carefully as Colin had set it down, Tsar unwrapped the package. A golden hide, covered in patches of fur, bound the book.
“It’s in remarkable condition.” Tsar skimmed his fingers over the cover.
Nyx wrinkled her nose. “It doesn’t smell like it.”
“This animal died thousands of years ago. What do you expect?” Tsar shrugged. “Once I put it into storage, the deterioration will slow considerably.”
Tsar opened the cover and stared at the script, an odd combination of glyphs and swooping swirls. Minutes passed while he turned the pages and silently read. Nyx glanced at Colin, who stood on the opposite side of the Royal shifter.
Colin shrugged. “I don’t read the ancient language either.”
Nyx touched Tsar’s sleeve. He whipped his head toward her and raised his lips on a low snarl. No sense of humanity showed in Tsar’s eyes. A predator watched her.
Heart pounding hard, she eased her hand away. She swallowed hard and fought to maintain her composure. Predators liked fear. “Do you have the cheat sheet you made for Bianca? I’d love to look at it.”
Tsar blinked slowly. Finally, he nodded. “Yes, let me get it.”
Tsar walked to a metal desk tucked between two tall statues and picked up a smaller book and some loose sheets of paper. He handed them over to Nyx. “Here, and some pages to practice on too.”
“Great. I’m sure Nyx will love learning the old language.” Colin settled his hand at her lower back, tearing a growl from Nyx’s jaguar, and led her to the door. “Thanks again for meeting with us tonight.”
The door slammed behind them. A lock clicked. Nyx hurried to keep up with Colin. “Why are we rushing?”
“Because I like my head attached to my body.”
“What?” Nyx stumbled.
Colin stopped and glanced at her. “Haven’t you heard the rumors? Anton Alexander is not a man to fuck with.”
Nyx clutched the book and loose sheets of paper to her chest. “Anton’s protective. That’s not a bad trait.”
Colin made a disgusted sound. “Anton’s unstable. Just like Tsar is. You saw how he reacted to you disrupting his reading. Normal people don’t do that. He’s not mentally all there. Most of the long-term members of the Council aren’t. They’ve got no one to balance them. Keep them grounded. All they have are their damn laws and the games they play once the Council is in session.”
“They don’t have a choice. They’re not allowed to mate.”
“They are. Technically, anyway. They just don’t.” Colin closed the door to the basement and led Nyx through the darkened library. “Doesn’t mean they have to freakin’ isolate themselves from the rest of the world or other people. They all do, though. Anton’s the worst. He isolates himself in that mansion on the other side of the campus far from where everyone else lives.”
“Many councilmen have lovers.” She chose to ignore the rest of Colin’s statement. Anton did isolate himself. No wonder he was lonely.
Colin snorted. “And how many would care if their lovers disappeared or died? Many shifters consider females interchangeable, don’t forget.”
“Including you?”
“Yes. I haven’t met one that tempted me enough to care.” Colin stopped walking. He glanced at her. “Except Sam, but she’s like a daughter to me. She doesn’t count. My future mate does, and once I find her, I sure as hell won’t let her leave my side. Or go off with another man.”
Nyx didn’t care what Colin thought of her. Anton’s opinion, on the other hand, meant everything.
After a few days.
Why? The question had been repeating in her mind since the morning he’d caught her snooping in his bedroom. Her heart kept teasing her with an answer, but it didn’t make sense. She couldn’t be anything more than a steady lover to Anton. There was nothing mystical pulling them together. She was a nobody, a single shifter who’d arrived here with orders to destroy Anton. Not love him. Yet here she was, wondering how to secure a spot in his life.
At least until she died.
Chapter 19
Energy thrummed in Anton’s veins. He flexed his hands, easing the ache in his bones. The determination of his cats to force a shift upon him had built since he’d left Kade outside the dining hall. Anton couldn’t blame his feline spirits for their primal anger. The need to hunt down and eliminate his competition rode him hard too.
By the time Anton had returned to the celebration, Nyx was gone. Along with Colin.
Shifter Affairs agent or not, Colin would suffer if he’d decided to do more than walk Nyx home. Nyx’s passion was his. Anton would own it, even if he couldn’t keep the rest of her.
A sudden stillness settled over him. His cats stood poised in their mystical field. Eagerness radiated from them. The reaction could only mean one thing. Nyx had returned.
Anton retreated farther into the shadows. And waited. The front door opened. Nyx entered, carrying a book and some loose sheets of paper. She set them on top of her luggage that still hadn’t been moved to her room, then dropped her bag and shawl over the pile before locking the door behind her.
He never locked his door, on the off chance someone needed to see him. He made no move to stop her, however. It’d be best if nobody intruded tonight. Not that anyone would.
With the possessiveness riding him, Anton couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t react as an animal guarding his mate instead of a man sleeping with his secretary. That was the view he needed to project. It shouldn’t be too hard to convince Nyx and the world of his indifference. Councilmen were adept liars. It came with the job.
“Was your evening successful?” Anton stepped from the shadows.
Nyx glanced at him. Her attention lingered on his bare feet for a long moment before she slowly dragged her heated perusal up his body. His cock stirred with her focus on him. She parted her lips on an exhale that relaxed her posture, leaving her looking confident and hungry.
Anton had never considered the combination being sexy. He’d always enjoyed his lovers trembling and needy. Nyx’s demeanor shook him. It had from the first moment he’d met her. He hadn’t known what to do with her then. He did now.
He’d break her.
She’d never leave him otherwise.
“Partially.” Nyx walked toward him. The sway of her hips drew his eye. She slowed her approach as if she sensed how he enjoyed the view. “But not completely. I never got to dance with you.”
Anton stopped and took a moment to admire the woman chosen for him by the goddesses. Nyx matched him in a way he’d never imagined a woman could. She spoke her mind one minute, then shrouded herself in a cloak of innocence the next. Both aspects of her personality intrigued him. He’d never known a woman to talk back to him or look at him the way Nyx did sometimes. It wasn’t lust. It was more. Not love. Not affection. Not companionship.
Nyx looked at him as if her world revolved around him. Seeing her budding devotion ripped him open, leaving him with a sick feeling in his gut.
He was a bastard. Would always be a bastard. Nobody could fix him. Especially not Nyx.
“You still want to dance with me even after I warned you what would happen in my arms?” Anton froze, waiting on her answer.
A mischievous smile spread over Nyx’s face. She moved closer until an arm’s length separated them. “You mean other than sore toes? You did admit it’s been a long time since you danced with a woman.”
“I’m not talking about dancing.”
“Well, I am.” Nyx pursed her lips in the fakest pout he’d ever seen. “I wanted to dance with you. I still do.”
Anton closed the distance between them and stroked the back of his hand over her jaw. “If I take you into my arms, I guarantee you’ll end up in my bed.”
Nyx stared at him for a long moment, then dragged her tongue over her lower lip. “Are you challenging me, Anton Alexander?”
“Warning you.” Anton brushed his open mouth over hers. Nyx tilted her head and touched the tip of her tongue to his lip, an invitation to kiss her. He eased back. “It’s the only one you’ll get.”
“One is all I need.”
Determination showed in her eyes. Seeing it there excited him on a level he couldn’t explain. Anton stepped closer to Nyx, urging her backward until her spine pressed against the door. He planted his hands on either side of her body. Nyx tipped her head back. She didn’t try to kiss him. She watched him. Her breathing quickened. He could almost feel her excitement.
Forbidden Mate_Shifter World Page 17
